We need to temporarily move the well pressure tank to facilitate building of the new pump house. Like 10 feet. Our well is ~ 160' deep with a 6" casing. Submerged pump. Obviously I'll pull the breaker and drain the water out. What isn't so obvious is do I need to relieve the air pressure from the tank to protect the diaphragm? The tank itself is an 85 gallon upright that was new in 2014. There is what looks to be a anti back flow valve in between the well and the tank, no shut off valve. Is it best to keep a barrel of water in case the pump needs priming? Thanks.
Moving a well pressure tank
- Thread starter tomplum
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duffer
Platinum Member
I would definitely bleed off the pressure in the tank. Mainly because not only do you have pressure, but you have a bunch of water in there as well. When you drain the water out of the tank, you should also be relieving the pressure. If you have irrigation, just turn it on, after you shut off the pump breaker. That will eliminate the water the fastest. If no irrigation, turn on a couple of hose bibs, showers, or bathtubs to relieve the pressure.
You shouldn't need any water to prime the pump, since it's already submerged in the well.
If it were me, I'd take a picture of the electrical hookups on your pressure switch and control panel before disconnecting them to insure you hook it back up correctly when you move it back into your new well house. Post a couple of pics when you're done so we can see it !
You shouldn't need any water to prime the pump, since it's already submerged in the well.
If it were me, I'd take a picture of the electrical hookups on your pressure switch and control panel before disconnecting them to insure you hook it back up correctly when you move it back into your new well house. Post a couple of pics when you're done so we can see it !
Valveman
Platinum Member
Like duffer says, just drain the water with a faucet. Do not release the air charge in the tank. When using a 40/60 switch the diaphragm in the tank should have 35-38 PSI air just like a spare tire in the back of your car. An 80 gallon pressure tank only holds 20 gallons of water. The rest is air and it should never be released from the tank. The check valve at the tank should be removed while you are at it, as it will cause water hammer and contamination problems. There is another check valve down on the pump, which is the only one you need. Sub pumps don't need priming.
oosik
Epic Contributor
A suggestion - If you are on a septic tank - drain off the water thru an outside faucet. No need to run this extra water thru your septic system. There is no good reason to bleed the air out of the tank. After everything is all hooked up and running again - recheck the air pressure in the tank. I run mine at 38 psi.
oosik
Epic Contributor
Well - my tank is in the basement. Easy access. The installer recommended checking the pressure annually. So far - eleven years - I've done the annual checks. Never had to make an adjustment. It just hangs in there at 38 psi.
The first 27 years - the pressure tank was down in the spring. Real PITA to access. When I went from jet pump to submersible pump - had the pressure tank moved to the basement.
The first 27 years - the pressure tank was down in the spring. Real PITA to access. When I went from jet pump to submersible pump - had the pressure tank moved to the basement.
Valveman
Platinum Member
If the tank loses any air, it should be replaced. In some cases, to buy some time, you can check and add air regularly to a bladder/diaphragm tank if needed, but that means the diaphragm is torn. Sometimes a piece of the torn diaphragm will seal over the inlet/outlet hole, and adding air is fruitless, so the tank needs to be replaced immediately. Just like everything else in a pump system, the bladder/diaphragm in a tank is destroyed from the pump cycling on and off too much. Every time the pump cycles on/off the diaphragm goes all the up and down. This is similar to bending a wire back and forth until it breaks. The fewer times the pump cycles, the longer the tank and everything else will last. I have one diaphragm tank installed in 1982 that hasn't lost a pound of air in 38 years. I had a bladder tank buried that I added air to every few months for a couple years until I finally dug it up and replaced it.
Cat_Driver
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There is no need to relieve the pressure from the bladder. Bladder tanks come pre-charged with 38 pounds. I just had a new bladder tank delivered yesterday and it was pre-charged. Definitely drain the water for weight.
